Modern kids are better travelled than their parents' generation

Children of the 21st century are likely to have travelled abroad four times by the time they are ten years old, with Spain, France and Greece among the most popular destinations, according to a survey commissioned by Teletext Holidays.

In contrast, nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of children 30 years ago had not been overseas before their tenth birthday, with a single trip to the British seaside a more likely option.

The poll of 3,000 Britons found that the average youngster of the 1970s and 80s would not have visited a foreign country until they were 13, while today's kids typically fly for the first time at four years and nine months.

Victoria Sanders, managing director of Teletext Holidays, said the research highlighted a significant change in the way parents plan and approach family trips.

"The rise of package holidays in the 70s and 80s, the big holiday discounts of the 1990s and the increasing choice of holiday destinations and quality hotels means it's become much more affordable - and the norm - to travel as a family," she added.

"Parents are becoming more adventurous than ever before, thinking nothing of travelling with pushchairs, toys and car seats."

While they generally stayed in their home country, three-quarters (77 per cent) of the adults surveyed said they look back on their childhood holidays with fond memories.

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